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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. face — to confront
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pit — a hole
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mark — a trace
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. can — a tin
  16. snap — to click
  17. can — a tin
  18. pit — in a race
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. face — part of the head
  21. scale — size or range
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mark — a grade
  24. scale — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com